put up
To can or store food for later, or to give somebody a bed for the night.
Also called puttin' up.
Updated September 24, 2026
put up pronunciation
/PUT up/
Meaning
Put up works two big jobs in Southern talk. First, preserving: putting up beans, maters, or corn means canning or storing the harvest. Second, lodging: putting somebody up means letting them stay overnight. Both senses are about setting something aside safe until morning or until winter.
How folks use it
- “Mama's been puttin' up green beans all week.”
- “Y'all can put up at our place if the motel's full.”
Origin and etymology
Built from put plus up in the sense of setting aside or establishing. DARE records the food-preserving sense as chiefly Southern and Southern Midland. The lodging sense is older travel English (put up for the night) that stayed everyday in rural hospitality. Same phrase, two farm-and-porch lives.
Frequently asked questions
Does put up only mean canning?
No. It can mean canning food, stacking hay or wood, or putting a guest up for the night. Context tells you which.